What to do if you're stung by jellyfish, stingrays or other dangerous sea creatures

You’re blissfully splashing in the ocean and feel a pinch. Or you’re strolling along the beach and step on something sharp. When you’re out at the beach, it’s important to remember that you’re sharing your space with certain sea creatures — we’re talking jellyfish, not sharks — that can pose hazards of their own. Burns, bites and stings can be a real beach day bummer, and in some cases can cause serious medical reactions if they’re not treated quickly.

So, just how worried should you be? And what should you do if you get stung? Here’s what the experts say.

Jellyfish

Dr. Jaimie Tom, an emergency physician at Hawaii Pacific Health, tells Yahoo Life that jellyfish stings are at the top of the list when it comes to marine animal encounters that land people in the emergency room.

With the exception of the box jellyfish, which is the deadliest creature in the ocean and most often found in the warm coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region and off the coast of northern Australia, most jellyfish stings are not dangerous, Tom says. They occur when people come into contact with jellyfish tentacles, which activate neurotoxins from stinging cells called nematocytes. This causes immediate pain, Tom says, as well as long red welts that appear on the skin.

“The welts can last for several hours and cause burning pain and swelling to the skin,” she says.

The first thing you should do, according to Tom, if you've been stung by a jellyfish is use an object or a gloved hand to remove the tentacles from your body. “Be careful to avoid rubbing or pressing the tentacles, as this will cause more toxins to be released,” she says.

From there, she recommends soaking the affected area in hot water of 110 to 113 degrees until the pain subsides, which should happen in 20 to 30 minutes. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever.

“Although most jellyfish stings are non-fatal, some people can develop a serious reaction, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing and severe allergic reaction, so you should seek medical attention if you are experiencing any of those symptoms,” Tom says.

Stingrays

Australian TV personality and wildlife expert Steve Irwin died in 2006 after a barb from a large stingray lodged in his heart. While the exact species that killed Irwin is unclear, the stingray was reportedly more than seven feet long. In the United States, it’s much more common to be stung by a round stingray, the largest of which came in at under 23 inches. These rays are generally not life-threatening to humans, but should be avoided.

Dr. Jared Ross, an emergency room physician and a former lifeguard and rescue scuba diver, tells Yahoo Life that stingrays are typically encountered in warm, shallow water and tend to burrow in the sand, making them difficult to spot. In order to avoid unwanted contact with a stingray, you can shuffle your feet while you walk in the water, which can kick up enough sand to scare them away.

If you are stung by a stingray, you may have a puncture wound — and you’ll definitely feel it, says Ross. “Stings are excruciating and may cause burning pain that radiates the body,” he says.

Treatment for stingray stings, like jellyfish stings, includes immersing the affected area in hot water, says Ross, which you should do as soon as you are able. Unlike jellyfish stings, stingrays cause an open wound, which must be thoroughly cleaned with fresh water to prevent infection.

Tom says that more severe reactions to a stingray sting include headache, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia and seizures. In the event of these rare cases, it's important to seek medical attention as soon as possible, since complications such as infection and serious bleeding can occur. A doctor may also recommend a tetanus shot, as the wound could introduce bacteria that can cause infection.

Sea urchins

Sea urchins may be a cool ocean discovery, but you should be cautious with these creatures, as they too can cause pain — and infection.

Tom says she commonly sees sea urchin stings in the emergency room from people stepping on the sharp creatures. Tom says that the spines of the sea urchin are fragile and break off easily, allowing the spines to become embedded in the skin when someone steps on them.

“The initial puncture is painful,” she says. While these stings are very rarely life-threatening, she says that “a small amount of toxin is released and will cause additional stinging, which can last up to a week.” The embedded spines also leave a bluish-black discoloration in the skin.

“If you are stung by a sea urchin, calmly exit the water then clean and inspect the wound,” Tom says. “Immersing the affected area in hot water or vinegar will help with the pain and may help to dissolve the spines.”

There’s one more thing to worry about with sea urchins, and that’s the presence of the spines in your skin. Since the spines are very brittle and often break apart when trying to remove them, they pose a risk of infection, she says. While smaller spines can be monitored and treated, it’s possible that larger spines will require surgery to remove. It’s important to seek out medical attention if you step on a sea urchin, as a doctor can best evaluate the appropriate course of action.

Sea lice

“Sea lice” are not the kind of lice you might find on children in an elementary school. Instead, they are transparent larvae from jellyfish or sea anemones. The rash that they cause is referred to rather dramatically as seabather’s eruption.

Dr. Ryan Marino, an emergency room doctor and associate professor at the medical school at Case Western Reserve University, tells Yahoo Life that contact with these often invisible larvae create unpleasant symptoms that are “akin to mosquito bites, and the rash is more like an allergic reaction to the toxins they release.”

Usually this rash, which is often worse among children, develops within 24 hours of encountering the larvae. You might find that the rash is mostly under the areas covered by your bathing suit, which should be thoroughly washed to remove any sea larvae.

Marino says that if you want relief, apply ice and use antihistamines. “If there is any concern for a more severe reaction, like trouble breathing, vomiting or changes in level of consciousness, then emergency medical attention is warranted,” he adds. “When in doubt, or when symptoms are anything more than mild, seeking medical attention is the best bet.”